diff --git a/src/api/file.rs b/src/api/file.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d169ea4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/api/file.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#[derive(Clone, Debug, Default)]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "js", napi_derive::napi(object))]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "py", pyo3::pyclass(get_all, set_all))]
+#[cfg_attr(feature = "serialize", derive(serde::Serialize, serde::Deserialize))]
+pub struct Node {
+	pub id: String,
+	pub name: String,
+	pub children: Vec<Node>,
+	pub directory: bool,
+	pub managed: bool,
+}
+
+pub fn treefy(mut codemp_paths: Vec<String>) -> Node {
+	let mut root = Node {
+		id: "".to_string(), // TODO ??
+		name: "".to_string(),
+		children: Vec::new(),
+		directory: true,
+		managed: false,
+	};
+
+	codemp_paths.sort();
+	
+	for path in codemp_paths {
+		treefy_rec(&mut root, &path);
+	}
+	
+	root
+}
+
+fn treefy_rec(node: &mut Node, path: &str) {
+	if let Some(slash_pos) = path.find('/') {
+		let node_mut = if let Some(child_node) = node.children.iter_mut().filter(|x| x.name == path[slash_pos..]).next() {
+			child_node
+		} else {
+			let end_segment = path[slash_pos..].find('/').unwrap_or(path.len());
+			node.children.push(Node {
+				id: "".to_string(),
+				name: path[slash_pos..end_segment].to_string(), // TODO: is this legal?
+				children: Vec::new(),
+				directory: true,
+				managed: false
+			});
+			node.children.last_mut().expect("node not found but it should have just been created!")
+		};
+
+		treefy_rec(node_mut, &path[slash_pos..]);
+	} else {
+		node.children.push(Node {
+			id: "".to_string(),
+			name: path.to_string(),
+			children: Vec::new(),
+			directory: false,
+			managed: true
+		});
+	}
+}
diff --git a/src/api/mod.rs b/src/api/mod.rs
index 9e27c22..93cabfc 100644
--- a/src/api/mod.rs
+++ b/src/api/mod.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ pub mod event;
 /// data structure for remote users
 pub mod user;
 
+/// file system
+pub mod file;
+
 pub use change::{BufferUpdate, TextChange};
 pub use config::Config;
 pub use controller::{AsyncReceiver, AsyncSender, Controller};